Page 48 - MENU - MARCH / APRIL

FRESH
MENUS and MANTRAS FOR PATIO PERFECTION
Patio Season! As Canadians, fall, winter and spring test our mettle; we pine away for warmer weather, bring- ing with it friends, fare and pints on our favourite patios. Designing the optimal outdoor menu takes all things out- side and local into account. Chef Ryan O’Donnell of Mer- cer Hall in Stratford, Ontario talks about creating a menu that is suitable for the patio during the summer heat. Pa- tio dishes should coddle with cool comfort, include fresh avours, a variety of food temperatures and controlled portion sizes so as not to overindulge the summer diner. Remembering that the clientele inside your restaurant is dining in an air-conditioned and sheltered environment compared to those diners seated in the great outdoors, and treating them respectively is vital when producing patio-season menus for both inside and out—ensuring your guest experiences are the best they can be.
At Miku, Vancouver located beside historic Canada Place, they’ve opted to keep the same menu for both
the dining room and the patio. Miku uses a centuries-old technique called Aburi to prepare their dishes. Aburi means ame-seared, over a charcoal grill to create their sashimi, nigiri and oshi sushi. Miku boasts a phenomenal view of the North Shore Mountains. Diners are treated to a relaxed mix of harbour views and distant snow-capped peaks; therefore, a full patio menu allows diners to enjoy the scenery from the patio and all that Miku has to o er in the presentation of their carefully-prepared dishes.
BY CHEF EMMA HOUSE
Back at Mercer Hall, Chef Ryan also keeps the same food menu from inside to out. However, Mercer Hall of- fers a separate patio beverage menu. After undergoing major renovations last year and a shift in style, the food items coming from the kitchen pair nicely with Strat- ford’s largest craft beer selection. Mercer Hall features a beer each day, in tune with the changing seasons.
While both Mercer and Miku maintain menu o er- ings from dining room to patio; there is also a place for shorter menus on the patio. Patios bring out groups of friends, in a highly social environment, which is louder than the dining room and less formal in most cases. De- signing a patio menu that is conducive to social groups, o ering small plates and a variety of sharable items is
a proven strategy. There is no hard and fast rule which says that the patio experience must be the same as the dining room experience. The patio can be an opportuni- ty to reach a di erent diner than those who might linger more formally in your dining room. Patio menus o ering charcuterie platters, cold salad platters, ights of tacos positioned in the middle of the table promote conver- sation and ease. This approach can also inspire repeat clientele who wish to enjoy two dining environments within one restaurant.
A patio allows you to be creative, resourceful and pro table. Design your menus and your indoor and outdoor spaces as independent segments of your busi-
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MENU MARCH / APRIL 2017